Under A Brilliant Sky
by Invisionary
Summary: Willow and Tara have a serious talk about the future.


It's a bright, clear day when Willow arrives at the park. The sun is shining, but it's not too hot, and she adjusts her wide-brimmed hat to keep her face shaded. The bottom of her long dress swishes a few inches above the ground as she walks across the lawn, the well-kept grass crunching faintly underneath her sandals.

There's a nice breeze blowing, making the leaves in the trees rustle and carrying the scent of lilacs. She stops for a moment and inhales deeply, smiling as she breathes in the fresh, clean air. Then she continues on, hurrying now as she catches sight of her destination, striding across the remaining distance quickly.

The happy warbling of birds in the sky above surrounds her as she reaches the bench. Tara's there, waiting for her, looking absolutely stunning in a simple white blouse and long, dark blue skirt. She turns and looks up as Willow arrives, her golden hair shining in the sun. The smile that makes its way onto her face when she sees her takes Willow's breath away.

"Hi," she says cheerfully, patting the bench beside her.

"Hey," Willow replies, sitting down and scooting over next to her. She takes Tara's hand and gently pulls it into her lap, holding it in both of hers. She runs her thumb over it slowly, tracing the contours of her palm.

Tara leans back against the bench, looking up at the sky. She sighs softly and closes her eyes for a moment. Then she turns toward Willow, opening them again and giving her hand an affectionate squeeze as she fixes her gaze on her.

"So what do you want to talk about?" she asks.

Willow frowns slightly. "Do we have to talk about anything?" She gestures with one hand, taking in the vast expanse of green in front of them. "Can't we just enjoy the day?"

Tara nods and relaxes slightly, looking up once more. This time, Willow does the same, taking in the sight of the brilliant sky. A few small clouds drifted lazily overhead, bright whorls of white against the blue.

They sit in silence for a while, but eventually end up talking anyway. Willow tells Tara about the meeting she had with Buffy, Xander, and Giles earlier, and recounts some of the conversation for her. Tara laughs at a couple of Xander's jokes, told second-hand, and Willow takes a moment to let the lovely sound wash over her, smiling in contentment.

They spend quite a while just sitting there and talking. But Willow notices that, as their conversation goes on, Tara becomes more and more distant. Closed off. Finally, when she starts to look genuinely uncomfortable, Willow has to say something.

"Honey?" she asks softly. "What's wrong?"

Tara turns and meets her eyes. She wrestles with indecision for a moment before she speaks.

"This is a dream," she says bluntly. She runs her hand slowly through the air to emphasize the point, and a faint arc of shimmering energy trails along after it. "It's not real."

"It's real enough," Willow insists. They've had this conversation before, and she doesn't relish the idea of having it again.

But Tara persists. "It's not," she counters. "I always come when I hear you calling out to me when you're sleeping. And I love seeing you here." Her smile fades to a determined expression. "But this has to stop. You need to move on."

"I did the whole moving on thing. With Kennedy." Willow frowns. "It's not all it's cracked up to be."

Tara folds her hands and rests them on her lap, looking down at them solemnly. She steels herself and takes a deep breath.

"I can't come see you anymore."

Willow's heart skips a beat at the words. She'd been surprised when she'd fallen asleep after a particularly difficult night, clutching her picture of her and Tara - the only one she had - to her chest, and seen her in a dream that she knew wasn't a dream. But ever since then, she knew deep down that this day would have to come eventually. Still, the knowledge doesn't dull her shock in the slightest.

"But I miss you," she says earnestly when she gets her breath back. She reaches out and lays a hand on Tara's cheek, feeling her lean against it a little. "I love you. We hardly had any time together, and it's not fair, and God I miss you..."

She still recalls holding Tara's body in her arms, seeing the blood darkening her shirt, watching her as the last traces of life slipped away. Even now, she has to close her eyes and suppress a shudder at the memory.

"I know," Tara says, taking her hand and giving it a soft kiss. "I miss you too. But no matter if it's fair or not, this is the way things are."

She turns and meets her eyes, and the depth of the love Willow sees there makes her heart ache. "They told me we can't keep doing this," she says. "No more meeting in your dreams. They gave us this one last time, to say goodbye, but this is it. You can dream of me, just like you can dream of anyone else. But I can't come see you anymore."

Willow feels the tears starting to run down her face, and Tara reaches over and brushes them away with her fingers.

"Hey," she says tenderly. "You have to be strong." Tara gives her a tight smile. "Strong like an Amazon, remember?" She puts a hand under Willow's chin, her expression turning serious. "Can you do it?" she asks softly. "Can you do it for me?"

Willow takes a deep breath, trying to rein in the torrent of emotions running through her, and nods. She can do this. For Tara, she can be strong.

They stand up and embrace, Willow holding Tara to her as tightly as she can for a long moment. Finally, they pull away from each other, and Willow dries her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

"I love you. I'll never stop loving you," Willow says, and Tara smiles at her again.

"I know," she replies. "I love you too. I always will. And I'll see you again someday. I believe in you, you'll end up where I am, I know it," she finishes, and the fierceness and pride in her voice makes Willow smile even in spite of how she feels.

"Goodbye," Willow says, her voice thick with emotion. Tara leans in and presses her lips to Willow's in a quick but intense kiss.

"Goodbye," she whispers, and vanishes, along with the landscape, in a brilliant flash of white light.

Willow sits up, the covers of her bed rustling slightly at her movement, and looks around, taking in the familiar surroundings of her bedroom at the new Watcher's Council headquarters. Sunlight streams in through the windows, and she looks at the clock, confirming that it's already morning.

She gets out of bed, feeling fully rested, and makes her way over to her bathroom to begin the process of getting ready for another day. She can still feel Tara's last kiss on her lips, and as she opens the door to the bathroom, she hears her voice echoing in her mind.

_I'll see you again someday. I believe in you, you'll end up where I am, I know it._

And she can't help but smile again.


End file.
